Wish List

We were recently asked by some family members to update our Linus Wish List on Amazon so that people could send Christmas (and not to far away birthday!!!!) presents for our little guy. As I was updating, it got me thinking about my own wish list. Now that Linus is on the scene, I find that most things I can think of to put on my list are really for Linus, or at least Linus-related.

And so I struggled to think of things that I wanted for me. I only partly succeeded. Here is my list, with varying degrees of "for me-ness".

1. One of my biggest wants is an Ergo baby carrier.

Ergo-tastic

I've already talked about how much I love our Babasling. Now that Linus is getting bigger and heavier, it isn't great for much longer than a short trip. The Ergo, while more expensive, is a favorite amongst moms and should last until Linus is 4. You can use it for front, back, and hip carries which is very intriguing. I'd really love to be able to wear Linus more often without sacrificing my back too much.

2. A haircut.

Every time I look at a picture of myself lately, all I can think is that I look pale and like I need a haircut. 

case in point

I haven't had my hair cut since Linus was a couple of weeks old. It is the longest it has ever been. I'm not planning on cutting it short, but it definitely needs some shaping and more layers. 

3. A sentimental piece of jewelry

It didn't happen when Linus was born or for my first Mother's Day (or my second... I got to celebrate both US and UK dates!), but I'm hoping for some little something to commemorate the birth of our first child. Not anything fancy or expensive, but just a little something special. Perhaps something with an aquamarine (Linus' birthstone) or an "L"? Who knows. I'm not really bothered what it is, but the thought of having a piece of jewelry specifically tied to Linus makes me smile.

And that's pretty much it. Sure, I'd like some other things. A cute new top or sweater. Some new boots. Every girl likes a bit of new in her life. I just find it funny that, increasingly, my thoughts turn to things for Linus rather than for me. It's only natural, I'm sure. I guess it's called being a mom!

Did you find that your wish list turned into mostly baby related items once you became a parent?

What's on your wish list right now?

By/With

To start, a side story:

When I was in high school I was a theatre kid. I remember one day, my friends and I were hanging out on stage during a rehearsal and talking about one of the other girls (in that stupid high school way). Specifically, her unhealthy fixation on one of the older boys. Her crush was huge and embarrassingly obvious to everyone. It was beyond awkward the way she would fawn over this guy. As is want to happen, the girl walked up to our group to join the conversation. We all fell quiet and tried to act natural. (Like you do when you've just been busted talking about someone.) She greeted us and asked what we were talking about. Without missing a beat, one of the boys simply replied "Calvin Klein". It was pure genius. It impressed me so much and still amuses me to no end.

Get your own obsession.

Now the real point of this post is to tell you that, here in the UK, people are "obsessed BY" things. I'm used to being "obsessed WITH" stuff. Every time I hear it, it sounds strange to my ear, but it got me thinking. Isn't "by" actually just as, if not more, appropriate. In most cases, the thing that obsesses you isn't actually affected by your obsession. The WITH implies that there is some sort of mutual relationship. If I'm "totally obsessed with prosciutto, metallic ballet flats, or even Claudia Winkleman"- this food item/shoe/celebrity is completely unaffected by me and my obsession. In this case, I think I agree that "by" makes more sense. I'm am the object of enthralment. The object of my obsession is not "in" the obession "with" me at all!

That said, I don't imagine I'll be able to change my natural programming to say "by". And I reserve the right to freely say that I'm obsessed with my son and husband and their cuteness because that is a relationship. I like to think they're obessed right back.

What are your favourite obsessions?

Cheerful Sunday

This Sunday, I'm cheerful about things for which I'm thankful.
(How's that for shoehorning in a Thanksgiving post?) In that spirit, I'm going to tell you what I'm thankful for right now.

1. My parents-

How much does Linus look like me in this picture!?

My parents are awesome. Ross and I are both super grateful for their love and support. They are also amazing grandparents. I can't say how luck I am to have them as my mom and dad.

2. My new friends- I'm very lucky to have met some awesome women in the last year. One of their husbands dubbed us "The Coven", which never fails to amuse me. I hadn't realized how much I missed having girlfriends. My little group of friends brings me a ton of laughter and support as we go through the first months of motherhood together. I actually celebrated Thanksgiving by getting together with the girls for my first night out without Linus (and also my first without Ross since I moved here!). We had drinks and pizza. I wore a dress and a real bra for the first time in 9 months! I'm completely unbiased in my assessment that we have the four most awesome babies in the world ;)

3. My family- I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I'm totally into my husband and by baby. They're, like, the most awesome-sauce covered awesomes ever. Ross always makes me laugh and works so hard to take care of me and Linus. He's a committed, caring, loving husband and a goofy, tender, sweetheart of a dad. Watching the two of them together makes me weepy with happiness. 

my two loves

Those are my big 3! I hope you're having a cheerful Sunday and that you have as many awesomes in your world as I have in mine.

The Cow Says "Moo"

The iconic See n' Say. (Which apparently wasn't popular in the UK.)

Today when I was hanging out with some of my friends, one of them asked me if the animal noises in the US were different. At first it seems a silly question, but at the time, she entertaining her son with an owl puppet. Do you know what the owl said? It said "tweet, twoo". Yep. Not "who, who" or even "hoot".

Now, I first became aware of this difference via a bib that Linus has.

Sorry, for the stained bib, but-well- it does it's job.

I hadn't really thought anything off this bib, until I heard Clare making owl noises in the same manner. When I replied that, in America, owls say "Who", or possibly "Hoot" my friends were as surprised as I was by this "tweet twoo" business. 

As for other differences, I could only come up with a few. In England, dogs don't say "Bow Wow". They only say "ruff ruff". Both might be used in the US. I later asked Ross, about other differences later. We established many are the same. The only other one we came up with is that a British chicken would never say "buck, buck, buck".  It would only "cluck". 

A non-animal related one I've noticed is "Nee nor" or "Nee naw". Anyone know what that is? 

I'll give you a hint.

Pull over!

Fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances all say "nee nor" or "nee naw". In fact, children often refer to vehicles with sirens and flashing lights as Nee Nors/Naws. It makes just as much sense as (and is more easily spelled than) the American "Weee Ooooo". 

I'm sure there are other differences in what things "say".

Ross' favourite is that, in France, roosters say "Kokorico!"

What are your favourite onomatopoeic sounds? 

Word of the Week

wadingpaddling

I'd like to be beside the sea.

Definition: walking through or frolicking in shallow water

Used in a sentence: We watched a TV show about the French Rivera the other day and I made Ross promise me that someday we'd take Linus wadingpaddling there.

8 Months

Dear Line,

You turned 8 months old today. Your father (the math whiz) wished you a "Happy 3/4s Birthday" this morning before I pointed out his math error. Her quickly revised and explained that his mathematical gifts only apply to numbers greater than one.

It's been an awesome month full of developments. You are on the move more than ever. Not only have you figured out crawling (as opposed to army crawling), you have started cruising too! Your crawl is really cute as you do a strange sweep with your right leg. I haven't captured it on film yet, but I should do it soon because you're going to be walking before we know it! 

You love, love, LOVE to stand up. You can pull yourself up on furniture, legs, and even a flat panel (like a closed door). You are amazingly good at sitting back down too which is a relief as it means you don't have too many tumbles. You will stand up and sit down over and over and smile like you're doing the best thing ever. You especially love standing up in the bath tub. One of my favorite new developments is that you've started raising your hands up to me when you want me to pick you up. It always makes my heart smile.

You've started making more noises. Sometimes its a yell, but more and more you're working on syllables. Most often it's "Baa Baa Baa". I wonder if it's because you hear me say "baby" so often. When you're upset you'll say "MaMaMaaa", but you aren't really associating it with me. Soon! 

You still think Daddy is the bee's knees. For the first time yesterday you got excited when you heard the key in the door at the end of the day. You then expectantly watched the door to see daddy come in. It was the sweetest. You boys play the "Grabby Game". It involves Daddy holding you over a toy and you picking it up. Then you go on Daddy's lap until you drop the toy. Then it starts all over again. The best way to play this game is with your stacking cups. You can take each cup off the tower one at a time without knocking down the tower. Your father is very proud. Stacking cups are your fav.

You're still eating really well. Sweet potatoes, pears, salmon, and tomatoes are your favorite. You had portabello mushrooms for the first time and loved them! Some days your just pick at your food, but others you eat so much that I can't believe it! You haven't consistently dropped any milk feeds yet, but I think it will happen before long.

You are such a sweet boy. You are an explorer, but also a cuddler. It's a great combination and one that I hope lasts. I'll be very sad when sitting on my (or Daddy's) lap isn't your preferred spot any more. You have such a shiny smile and your laugh is infectious. You're just the best. Not that I'm biased. Nope. Not at all.

I love you so much,

Mommy